Range-finding and sighting apparatus



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1'. H. ANDREWS & J. A. NORTON. RANGE FINDING AND SI-GHTING APPARATUS. No. 444,406.

Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

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(No Model.) v 3Sheets-Shet 2. H. ANDREWS & J. A. NORTON. RANGE FINDING AND SIG G APPARATUS. No. 444,406.

A atented Jan. 6,1891.

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3 She ets-Sheet 3.

H. ANDREWS & J. A NORTON. RANGE FINDINGAND SIGHTING APPARATUS.

No. 444,406. Patented Jan. 6', 1891.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ANDREWS, OF 25 NEWV ROAD, IVOOLIVICH, COUNTY OF KENT, AND JOHN ADAMS NORTON, OF 49 CURTAIN ROAD, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO EDIVARD IV. CREECY, OF IVASH- Y INGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RANGE-FINDING AND SIGHTING APPARATUS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,406, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed March 26, 1889. Serial No. 304,774. (No model.) Patented in England December 21,188'7,No.1'7,580; in Germany March 29,1888,No.47,425; in France March 30, 1888,110. 189,696; in Italy March 31, 1888,No. 23,295, and in Belgium April 16, 1888, No. 81,236.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HARRY ANDREWS and JOHN ADAMS NORTON, subjects of the Queen of England, residing at 25 New Road, oolwich, county of Kent, and 49 Curtain Road, county of Middlesex, England, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Range-Finding and Sighting Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the fol- IC lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to. make and use the same.

This invention relates to sighting and rangefinding for ordnance, patented as follows: In

England December 21, 1887, No. 17,580; in Germany March 29,1888, No. 47,425; in France March 30, 1888, No. 189,696; in Italy March 31, 1888, No. 23,295, and in Belgium April 16, 1888, No. 81,286.

The object of the invention is to produce means whereby ranges of any length may accurately be ascertained and defined and the gun properly sighted. 2 5 IVith this object in view the invention consists, essentially, in a telescope which is pivotally mounted to the frame or carriage of a gun, preferably at one side thereof, and provided with means for turning the telescope upon or about its pivot and be thereupon adjusted to suit any range or horizontal deflection.

The invention consists, furthermore, in a telescope provided internally with a gradu- 3 5 ated scale for indicating the distance of the object, more especially of bodies of men-as, for instance, infantry or cavalry-from the gun or carriage; furthermore, the invention consists in a telescope provided with lines engraved or otherwise imposed upon a disk of glass and intersecting each other.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention; Fig. 2, a rear elevation; Fig. 3, a plan view; Fig. 4, a Vertical 45 longitudinal section on the line or a; of Fig. 3 5

Fig. 5, a plan view of a part of the apparatus detached, showing the means for adjusting the focus of the telescope; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged View of the range-finding scale provided with graduated line hereinafter more specifically described.

A designates the telescope, which is secured to the frame or carriage of the gun through the medium of brackets B B, preferably in the manner hereinafter described. At its forward or field end the telescope is secured to the bracket B by attachment with a ball-and-socket joint a. I prefer so to arrange this connection that the center of the object-glass of the telescope is in a straight line with the center of the movement, or is in the center of the movement of the ball-andsocket joint. It will be understood therefore that the adjustment of the telescope for elevation or deflection is accomplished by moving the same upon the pivot formed by the ball-and-socket joint a. The mechanism for efiecting this vertical and lateral movement is supplied in the devices which connect the telescope with the frame B, which inechan- 7o ism comprises the following parts, and is operated in the manner hereinafter described.

Immediately embracing the telescope is a block b, and the revolving of the telescope in the block is prevented by a set-screw b. On its upper and lower edges the block b is grooved, as shown at 6 and in these grooves and arranged transversely of the length of the telescope are arms 0, formed on or attached to a worm-whecl segment (1-. This wormwheel segment d (illustrated in cross-section in Fig. 4) is fitted to slide in the arc of a circle in a slot or recess 6, formed in the face of the bracket B, the areal line of the said recess 6 and the arcial line of the movement of the 8 5 worm-segment Z) having its center in the centerof the ball-and-socket joint at the pivoted end of the telescope. An endless screw f (see particularly Fig. 4) is mounted upon a vertical shaft g, through which it is operated by 0 a hand-wheel h upon the under side of the telescope-support. The screw f engages the worm-wheel segment I) and by raising or lowering the same adjusts the telescope for distance. The lateral movement. of the block I.) is effected through the medium of a milled wheel actuating a worm gear upon the block I) through the medium of an endless screw in the same manner described for the vertical movement of the segment I). It will be understood that the block 1) moves freely between the arms 0, and this operation permits the adjustment of the telescope for deviation by the action of the wind on the pro jectile. The correct elevation to a predetermined distance can readily be established through the medium of a scale 7?, mounted upon the worm-wheel segment (Z, as shown in Fig. 2, and to enable this adjustment to be finer and more accurate I provide a species of micrometerdial "'scalej, in the form of a Vernier scale, provided on the upper end of the shaft g, as shown in Fig. 3. The lateral adjustment is governed by a scale 7., Pi upon one of the arms 0.

In cases where the range isknown a simple and ready means of adjusting the sight is provided by the mechanism just described. In cases, however, where the range requires to be ascertained I prefer to combine with these devices the range-finding scale shown in Fig. 6, a description of which is as follows: A transparent disk is located within the telescope between the sight and field ends thereof, and is provided with a vertical line and a horizontal line crossing below the center of the disk. At either side of the vertical line and above the horizontal line is a scale 1 Z, arranged in a predetermined manner fordistance under ordinary conditions of height. The scale at the left of the figure termed infantry, and designated by the letter Z, is represented to indicate an utmost distance of about two thousand yards of an infantryman dismounted, and a minimum distance of about two hundred yards of the same object. The scale is arranged in the form of a series of steps, the horizontal line of each step indicating in hundred yards the distance of the object, beginning with two hundred yards and graduated on a scale of one hundred yards up to a thousand and two hundred yards beyond a thousand and up to two thousand. The horizontal line at indicates the position of the feet of the infantryman, and the horizontal steps denote by the appropriate figure the height of the infantryman as revealed at the lens. Thus the telescope being focused so that the feet are on the line m, if the top of the head of the infantryman be indicated at a point opposite the line marked 5 it would appear that the object is five hundred yards away from the telescope. If the head be opposite the lowest line (marked 2) it would appear that the object is two thousand yards away. The measurements on the scale Z are obtained from actual test or careful calculation.

The cavalry scale (so called) Z operates in precisely the same way as the infantry scale; but, being prepared for an object of greater height, the proportions are subject to a different Cz'LlCllltttlOtl. Thus the nearest distance indicated on the cavalry scale is three hundred yards, at which point the height of a .'a alryman mounted will seem scarcely greater than that of an infantryman at two hundred yards. The utmost distance measured by this scale, as illustrated, is two thousand eight hundred yards, at which distance a cavalryman mounted appears at the same height as an infantryman at two thousand yards. The crossed lines serve the function in our improvement provided by the rear sight in a rifle, the center of the objectglass supplying the place of the fore sight of the rifle. The vertical line 01/. serves a desirable func tion, furthermore, as a sight for aiming purposes for accurate shooting at long range. It is important, of course, that the strictly horizontal and vertical positions of the lines on m shall not be altered during the operation of focusim the telescope, and with a view to enabling this focusing to be performed without interfering with this scale we have devised the means shown in detail in Fig. 5, a description of which is as follows: A screw-threaded sleeve n is fitted between collars a and a upon the first tube of the telescope so that it is free to turn thereon. This screw-threaded sleeve fits in a female screw-thread provided on the interior of the second tube of the telescope. A feather 0 upon the first tube of the telescope fits in a corresponding groove in the second tube, and thus prevents revolution thereof. A sliding movem out is thus provided for by which the focusing of the telescope may be minutely adjusted.

It is desirable to surround the telescope with a casing 19, as well as to provide the eye-piece of a yielding character, to prevent injury on the recoil of the gun.

It will be understood that the parts heretofore described are subject'to modification, and that while it is desirable to employ all together such co-ordination is not essential to their use. For instance, any convenient means other than those described for supporting the telescope at the side of the gun or carriage can be used. The ball-and-socket joint may be dispensed with and any common form of joint used in its place. The range-finding scale upon the disk within the telescope may be dispensed with and onlysighting-lines used. \Ve prefer the entire combination, however, in substantially the form and arrangement before described.

A noticeable characteristic of our invention is the simplicity of its parts and the perfect accuracy with which the range may be determined, the sighting done, and a uniformity in firing accomplished.

It will be understood that, excepting as specifically set forth in the accompanying claims, we do not claim as our invention generically any of the devices employed; but we have so improved their use by co-ordination as to present a greatly simplified structure.

What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. A machine or other gun having mounted thereon and adjustably secured thereto a sighting-telescope wherein one or more rangefinding scales are arranged, in combination with a vertical and a horizontal sighting-line crossing each other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination,with a machine or other gun, of a ran ge-finding and sighting telescope which is adjustable upon or about a ball-and socket or other universal joint at its forward end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The co1nbination,with a machine orother gun and a telescope pivoted or joined thereto at its forward end, of a worm-Wheel. segment and a worm or endless screw for effecting the vertical or the lateral or horizontal adjustment of the telescope, (with or without one or more graduated scales,) substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY ANDREWS. JNO. A. NORTON.

Witnesses:

EDMUND S. SNEWIN, THEODORE ALLPRESS. 

